Where Spirits & Demons Dance - Saxophone Choir w/opt Percussion

From the composer: “Where Spirits & Demons Dance” was originally written for Saxophonia, a saxophone choir which evolved out of the National Youth Wind Orchestra, and was premiered at their debut concert in April 1995, at the Purcell Room. It was a luxury to have such a large group of accomplished saxophonists at my disposal so I made few compromises over scoring or technical demands, which are relatively evenly spread throughout the ensemble.

The inspiration came from the haunting and sinister sounds of an old barrel-organ I heard in the Bohemian heart of Amsterdam. The picture I’ve portrayed of Amsterdam’s street life is one of conflict between it’s superficial charm and the sleazier undertones of the environment.

Instrumentation:

• Sopranino Saxophone (optional)
• Soprano Saxophone 1
• Soprano Saxophone 2
• Soprano Saxophone 3
• Alto Saxophone 1
• Alto Saxophone 2
• Alto Saxophone 3
• Alto Saxophone 4
• Tenor Saxophone 1
• Tenor Saxophone 2
• Tenor Saxophone 3
• Baritone Saxophone 1
• Baritone Saxophone 2
• Baritone Saxophone 3
• Bass Saxophone (optional)
• Percussion 1 – suspended cymbal, tambourine, wood block (optional)
• Percussion 2 – celesta (or glockenspiel), bass drum, castanets (optional)

Includes score, percussion performance score and parts.